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Reverend George Haddock
Reverend George Haddock was a Methodist reverend murdered in 1886 in Sioux City, Iowa, likely for being a prohibitionist.needed Events Prohibition In 1882 the Prohibition was happening in Iowa. A law called "Clark Law" was passed making liquor illegal. Sioux City, Iowa did not take too kindly to the law and the rough town became a lawless frontier. Many people ignored the law and there were over 75 saloons, several breweries, and gambling houses. With the help of the Methodist Church, the Reverend fought for prohibition in the midwest for 10 years. He would give rousing sermons and would testify against saloons in court. He knew the risks of this and continued to do so. This caused him to have several enemies. He even stated at one point that he expected to get murdered for his cause.needed The Murder On August 3, 1886, Reverend George Haddock was going around and noting liquor violations. He was seen noting the unloading of beer from one of the brewery wagons. At this time it was known that Fred Lerch was standing in front of his business down the street yelling at Haddock. At 10 p.m. a shot was heard on 3rd and Waters Street. The 56-year-old minister had been shot as he left his buggies at the stables. He noticed a group of men watching him. He then began to walk across the muddy road towards the men. He was carrying a rope with an iron wheel attached. The two men were not intimidated by him and also walked towards the Reverend. One put his hands on his face while the other walked behind him. This was when the shot rang out. The Reverend did not immediately die. After he fell onto the road he got up and stumbled to the sidewalk where he collapsed and died. The person who shot him was only 25 feet away when he was killed. A number of witnesses in this case.needed The Trials The men involved were identified. The one who had allegedly pulled the trigger was John Arensdorf. Arensdorf was the foreman of a local brewing company and made enemies with George. There were two trials against Arensdorf. The first trial ended in a hung jury. During the second trial, he was found not guilty even though there were many witnesses in this case. After the trial, Arensdof went out drinking with the members of the jury. There was a photo taken with the jury when they went for drinks. Even though it's widely believed that Arensdorf shot George there was no prosecution in this case.needed News For all news on Reverend George Haddock, see here. External links *Haddock, Reverend George • Sioux City History *History - Rev. Haddock Murder • First United Methodist Church *Rev George Channing Haddock (1832-1886) • Find A Grave *Reverend George C. Haddock • Iowa Cold Cases Sources Category:1880s murders Category:1880s murders in Iowa Category:1880s murders in the United States Category:1886 murders Category:1886 murders in Iowa Category:1886 murders in the United States Category:Male murder victims Category:Murders in Iowa Category:Murders in the United States Category:Unsolved murders Category:Sources needed